Anyone from Avon & Somerset Area Help Please?

[David]

Has any forum member from the Avon & Somerset area ever taken their rifles to hunt in South Africa? If so do you have the "To and from port of embarkation" condition? If not, how did you get round the SAPS requirement of permission to reimport to UK?

 

 

 

Thanks,

[Millwall Paul]

Has any forum member from the Avon & Somerset area ever taken their rifles to hunt in South Africa? If so do you have the "To and from port of embarkation" condition? If not, how did you get round the SAPS requirement of permission to reimport to UK?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

I'm from the Thames Valley Area and have never had a problem with taking my rifle to SA to hunt. When we arrived at Heathrow the police there gave us an export licence which we handed in at the SAPS office, upon leaving we just checked the guns in went through the reverse procedure of SAPS handing the SAP licence back and we were on our way. It was all very easy. We filled the SAP application in in advance, took colour scanned coppies of our FAC's and Passports and had it all ready to hand to the SAP office people. It helps to have it all filled out in advance and have a couple of coppies, otherwise their photo coppier can 'break down' which takes time and a little bit of 'lubrication' from you to get it going. My friend has the same condition on his licence on his FAC and it wasn't an issue, he's with Hertfodshire police. The only problem he had was getting his PH to get him ammunition in advance as he hadn't got the permission on his FAC to hold soft tipped bullets.

 

If you do fly out there make sure you advise the airlines in advance as some, BA I think will refuse you travel if you don't inform them at least 36 hours in advance that you have firearms. - But do check this on the airlines website as all of them are slightly different.

 

Where abouts are you looking at hunting in SA?

[David]

Thank you for your comments Paul. I hunt mainly in the Eastern Cape and have also hunted in Limpopo. I am UK agent for an outfitter in E.C. The reason for my thread is that since I started to take my own rifle to RSA, in 2005, I had always taken a letter from my police authority spelling out that a UK firearm certificate was permission to export and import a firearm to UK. This was a demand by SAPS in Jo'burg at that time. An acquaintance went out without such a letter and was held up at Jo'burg under threat of having his rifle confiscated. He contacted a RFD he knew who approached the relevant firearms licensing office and persuaded them to fax out a letter to SAPS at Jo'burg which letter saved the day. Two days of unecessary stress for the traveller though. A little later, SAPS recognised that the condition to take "To and from a port of embarkation" would suffice and that is what I have used ever since. Some clients get the condition, some get the letter. A recent client has been refused either letter or condition his FLD saying neither is necessary. It has been my experience that one or the other is. I had hoped to hear from someone in the area mentioned who had been out in RSA with a rifle and to hear of their experience in doing so and whether they had either the condition or letter.

 

I go out at least once a year and sometimes more. I, like you, have never had a problem. However, I have never heard of the UK police providing an "Export Licence". That's a new and interesting one for me. I have heard of what is referred to as "An Alternative List", which describes the firearm and ammunition and is stamped and signed by Customs on the way out. I have carried this but never needed it. For my last four trips it has been Customs who inspected my rifle when leaving U.K. (Manchester). I have also never had the disappointment of having to apply any "Lubrication" for a photocopier. (In many other African countries for sure, but not in RSA.)

 

Thanks again for your interesting comments Paul. You can see who I hunt with via my website.

 

Best regards,